Muffler.



H. C. GIBSON.

MUFPLER.

APPLICATION IILBD rma. 5,1909.

969,101 Patented Aug. 3o, 1910.

am JV l Ip: I III Ill UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

nooo c.' GIBSON, or NEW Yonlx, N. Y;

Patented Aug. 30g-1910:

MUFFLEB.-

969:1D1. specmcauon' letters Patent:

To-alliwhom itwndy. concern.

Be it knovm` that I;-HUGo-G. Grissom-a British subject, residin f in the borou hof Manhattan, city andtate of New ork, have inventedfcertain new and useful Improvements in Mutllers, ofwhich the'followmg is aI fullfand clear description, refer-- ence being had to the accompanying drawn in .1

yinvention pertains todevices-usually used in conjunction with' internal'combustion engines,- though having broaderl application, andare intended'to aordaimeans or' preventingrbackpressure in; the exhaust ofgases from suchI an engine andI at4 the same time muleor silence'the noiseoiI eX- hausting gases. These' and other advan# tages are incident to -the use of my invention and among other desirable features, ein; bodiments of my invention are susceptible of very cheap manufacture and at' the same time insure' durability, simplicity and compactness.

Bythe use of my inventionvcomplieations of'-constructionheretofore necessary in con*- nection with the exhaust from internal r combustion engines may beeliminated, While a direct and most important effect is Vincreasingthe efiiciency and obtaining! other marked advantagesin the operationA of. engines when equipped with my improvements.

In the accompanying drawings' I have illustrated aparticular form or forms of my invention, Which-Iv will specifically` describe, but the invention is not limited to these particular forms, various modifications of arrangement, construction, materialV and other features being within the scope of my invention.-

In the drawings Figure I: is ar transverse section ofy a mufller;-Fig; IIa is a planview ofthe same mufller; Fig. III. is a plan View of asimilar muffler of modified construction, While F ig. IIIa is an endview of the intake pipe to the muffler, and=Fig. III is a section of the supplementary iece forming the intake extension. Fig. I; is a side elevation'of the muffler shown in Fig. III. Fig. V. is a| transverse section of a muffler showing moditied-details oficentra-l enit.`

My invent-ion is intended in particular for use on7;,automobiles in which the exhaust pipe fron-the engine would be led-by suitable piping With the least possible abrupt turns to a position such as under the body and in the rear where the mufller would be lbcated, andf inI side elevationy would appear as inFig.- I'., in WhichfA is the exhaust pipe from the engine, B=is the top or roof of'tlie mufiler, B 1s the mufiler proper, C is the cover of the outleti side of the muffler, D is the side Wall, E; is the spiral partition or mairrpassaf` ewall, F is aterminal'deflector", Gis an out et passage spiral partition, Hfare final outlet: holes in the bottom cover C.

J designates generally' the passage or pipe space in1themain` or body portion of the mufl'ler and-K the outlet;

I'nthe modifiedform shown in Figs. I'II; and IV., A is the inlet pipe to the mufiler, While portion a is a tapered trough section pieceusedin forming the inlet. Generally the passageway J'is the same 'as in the form shown` in'Figs. I. and II., except that the top or' roofL and the bottom L are formed out of spirally stamped sheet' instead of being conical as shown in the first'form. M

is a bottom cover from which the gases find their Way through holes N to the outer air.

Having designated the particular parts shown, the constructionlcan be described as consisting of' the inlet pipe A leading tangentially into the muiiier as a Whole, and having asectional area atf the inlet equal to the sectional area-of the exhaust pipe from the engine. Following the passage-Way J from the inletit delects gradually into a circle and progressively increases in sectional area, continuing in a decreasing spiral, whereby the gradual deflection is constantly increasing until in the center of the mutiler the passage is very high, or deep. so that its sectional area is so large compared With-the inlet that the gases have had an opportunity to expand. At the center the deflectorF isf so formed-that the core of'Whirling gases is'deflected downward by a gradual curvature of the detlector F, and passes out of the mufller at' the outlet K. For different sized engines I construct the muffler of different sizes, Which means substantially a size commensurate with the volume of exhaust' gases to be disposed of. In addition to this a muiiier for any particular engine must take care ofa'different volume of gases during any unit of time, depending upon the speed of the engine, and a most advantageous characteristic of my invention is that it will accommodate the varying conditions of operation of an engine.

F or vthevery Wide range of conditions for which a'stnndard size of muflier might be used, I prefer to add a bottom cover C form ing a s ace between it and the bottom B of the mu er proper, so that the asespassing out of openin K, in view of t eir momentum, will by t eir centrifugal force, guided preferably by a deflector G spirally outward, find their way into the bottom space and finally pass through the holes H, thus exhausting into the free air.

The simplicity of construction of my muffier is a great advantage as it consists of the spiral band E of sheet metal bent at its inner end to form the deflector F, the two covers, top and bottom B and B, which are dished sheet metal, and a side wall D which is a band ofsheet metal. These parts I rivet together, or in preferred form use autogenous weldin which secures the joints without the additional weight of rivets, bolts or screws. When completed, the inter-4 connecting parts for proper functioning, in addition constitute a well-braced structure particularly adapted to withstand any usage or abus", 5ov which it may be subjected, as, for instance, the accidental striking of stones thrown by the wheels of the automobile. The form lends itself admirably to the attachment of braces or suspender straps to secure to any part of the vehicle y or structure 1Where it may be used.

In the form shown in Figs. III. and IV., the top and bottom covers L L are made from a fiat sheet which has a spiral cut in it leading almost to the middle. The outer wall D in this form continues into the spiral partition wall, increasing in width to the center where a corner is turned over to form the deflector F, which gradually delects the direction of motion of the gases downward and out through the bottom into thev space formed by the bottom supplementary cover M, where they find their way out of the holes N to the free air.

In Fig. V. the central exit portion is shown in a modified form. In the cylindrical portion O, are the oblique deflecting openings P. These oblique slots P may be fashioned so that their edges project outwardly on one side and inwardly, from the shell O, on the other side of the slot, so as to cause a constant deflection of the gases, as indicated by the arrows. The deflection downwardly carries the exuding gases to the extension S below the spiral portion of the muier, where a central deflecting cone or ridge R deflects them laterally to the final exits T T.

It will be seen in the manufacture of these forms of muiiers, Hat sheet metal in the form of a long tapered strip constitutes one member, while two substantially circular flat sheets with a spiral cut, requiring no dishing or pressing into any complicated form, constitute the essential elements, affording a very inexpensive means of construction. In this latter form it will also vbe seen that the joints between the spiral Walls andthe top and bottom cover can be seen from the outside, and afford every facility for auto enous welding. The outerwall or strip D is turned tangentially at the inlet, and a supplementary piece a is then fitted to this extension of the band forming in a very simple manner the inlet pipe A the extremity of the wall and the supplementary piece a being readily stamped so that th'ey together form a cylindrical end'to fit the usual round exhaust pi e. y

In order that my improve muffler may be adapted more conveniently, it is desirable in some cases to vary its dimensions and still maintain substantially the same length of passage-way, without unduly varying the gradual increase of passage-way section. Many modifications in' dimension and arrangement may be made to suit these varying conditions, and among them I have designed an oval or elongated form, by means of which I get an elongated central space particularly 4well adapted to accommodate the deiector, corresponding to the deiiectors F F, but running lengthwise of the elongated central opening and thereby giving a still more downward or outward deflection of the ases from the passage proper.

In all the forms it will be seen that there is no baffling, that is direct obstruction to the passage of the gases which( are intermittently exhausted from the engine into the muffler but they are gradually deflected, without hindrance to their momentum, and nally after being permitted toexpand they are again gradually deflected out of the casing without losing their momentum, and their outlet or exhaust from the4 muffler, having maintained their momentum, result in their sucking the following gases out of the muffler. By this construction and arrangement the noise of the exhaust is substantially muiiled, and at the same time there is no part of the device to impede the gases, and on the contrary the outlet from the mufiler is such, in its coperation with the other parts, that an actual suction is produced.

. As a practical and concrete result I am able to get an appreciable vacuum at the outlet of my mulier, which means that the condition in the exhaust pipe from the engine is such as to draw the exhausting or inert gases from the engine cylinder when the exhaust valve of the engine opens. Heretofore devices intended for mufiiin the exhaust of gas engines have invariably caused an appreciable back-pressure in the exhaust pipe from the engine, thereby retarding the expulsion of the gases and proportionately decreasing the useful work or power of the engine. It will therefore be seen that a remarkable advantage is incident to the use of my device in that it not alone eliminates exhaust pip'e insuring a clean charge and but tersPatent is:

permitt-ing increased range of speed of the engine, also permitting an increase of power by eliminatin the work otherwise lost owing to the bac -pressure v r n actual practice my device shows that the exhausting from a gas engine into'the open air involves an appreciable pressure owing to the resistance of the air, whereas the passage of the exhaust gases through 'a devicel containing my invention causea .continuous suction while their momentum is being s ent` v n i,

Mani old further advaiita result from theuseof my invention, an in its various A adaptations structures embodyin it may vary from what I have specifica shown and described. I therefore do not limitmyself to the particular forms herein shown,v

, What I claim and desire to lsecure by Let- 1.r A muiiler for internal combustion engines comprising a spiral .passage-way with 'an inlet at its -larger diameter and an outlet at or near its center, said passa way iii-' l ,creasin g in sectional area froml in et AYto ,out-

p 2. A muler for gines consisting of a box generally of'affform,

approximatin two fiat cones, base to'base, having an in et-tangential to the base, 'a :piral pfway leading to an outlet/at' e center. "l

ilternal combustion en` 3' 'A 1m-9" ff inventing beck-Pimm a in the exhaust pipe of internal combustion engines, including a substantially circular box with inlet near its periphery and passageways gradually deflecting gases through a spiral passage-wa of constantly decreas- -ing radius, means or gradually delectin gases froml a space centrally located-in sai spiral.'

4. A device for preventing back-pressure inthe exhaust pipe of internal combustion engines comprising a box with tp secured spira y tom covers, a ban between 'said covers, an inlet tangential to the casing and an outlet near the middle of said casing n affording a continuousunobstructed paa and bot- Y of ases substantially. for the purpose ve Ascri d. l

5. In combination in the exhaust passage et to exit and having an outlet at its center to permit the ree exit `of gases inthe direction of their deflection.

n 6. In combinationy with-a spiral passage-` .b5 from an internal combustion engine, a spiral 4 passageway of increasing section, from in- 4way :for exit of products of combustion, an

inlet farther from the center than the outlet, means coperating with the outlet to gradually .deiect the products of combustion in direction :of the outlet for the purpose described. ,l A Signed at New York, this 3rd day of Febi .HUGO C. GIBSON,` l* f DANIEL J; GUINAN,

MUOHHORE" 

